Reports : City Football Group to invest in Mumbai City FC

Manchester City owners City Football Group (CFG) is reportedly in advanced talks to brings ISL club Mumbai City FC as the eight football club under their umbrella. CFG's CEO Ferran Soriano also admitted that they’ve been looking into India for two years and would be investing this year.

Last year in a match between Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City FC, Soriano had grabbed the headlines by being present in the crowd and had stayed in India for 10 days. It had fuelled speculations of the cash-rich football group looking to invest in India as per their one club per continent plan, and now Goal has reported that CFG is actively looking to invest in Mumbai City FC.

The Ranbir Kapoor and Bimal Parekh owned club could be the eight club to join City Football Group, which already has New York City FC (MLS), Melbourne City FC (A-League), Girona (LaLiga), Club Atletico Torque (Uruguay), and Yokohama F. Marinos (J.League). The group also has shares in Chinese third-tier side Sichuan Jiuniu.

"With all these developments we have to be patient. We have some interest in some markets and countries where there is a genuine football passion and opportunities, like China, but also India. So there might be other opportunities in Asia. We've been looking at India for nearly two years now. I'd say this year we'll end up doing an investment in India," said Soriano, reported Goal.

"As we see it now, there is a natural pace of growth that we will follow that takes us to more than seven teams, but not 100 teams. I cannot see 10 years ahead but the group might have two or three teams more. Is this going to change in five years and we're going to have more? Maybe, I don't know that But to complete the vision that we had six years ago, I think we will have maybe two or three clubs more," said the former Barcelona vice-president.

The Islanders have reached the playoffs under Jorge Costa this season with 30 points off 18 games and will be facing FC Goa in the semi-final on March 9.